Vehicles may be classified as manned, unmanned or dual-operation. Dual-operation refers to vehicles that support both manned and unmanned operation. An unmanned vehicle may not require a steering wheel. In contrast, an operator of a manned vehicle or a dual-operation vehicle typically requires a steering wheel to direct the vehicle in the desired direction. For a dual-operation vehicle, an operator may occupy a vehicle that operates in an automatic pilot or auto-steering mode where the vehicle follows a desired path plan or trajectory. If the vehicle is presented with an obstacle in its path or deviates from the desired path plan or trajectory, the operator may desire to seize control of the steering. Thus, there is a need for detecting the presence of an operator attempting to operate a steering wheel and turning control of the vehicle to the operator.